Change Mental Health will work alongside the Fife Housing Association Alliance (FHAA), an alliance of four Fife housing associations, to expand a project that sees a strand of its Resilience service offer essential mental health support to empower tenants.

The housing project has been running since October 2024 in collaboration with Kingdom Housing Association, which has embedded mental health resilience directly within housing settings to help tenants sustain their homes in a ‘first-of-its-kind’ initiative.

Using an adapted version of Change Mental Health’s Resilience service model, the project will enhance its reach to support more people by working with the Fife Housing Association Alliance (FHAA). The Alliance comprises of four housing associations, including Kingdom Housing Association, Ore Valley Housing Association, Glen Housing Association and Fife Housing Group.

Thanks to a grant through the Fife Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults, administered by Fife Voluntary Action, a Mental Health Resilience Support Worker will be embedded within tenancy sustainment and housing teams across Alliance housing associations.

The project has developed an approach that bridges the gap between mental health support and housing services over the last 18 months, with both Change Mental Health and Kingdom Housing Association learning alongside each other and refining what works in practice. Collaborative working continues to have a positive and measurable impact on tenants’ wellbeing and housing stability. With the groundwork now laid, the proven model will test further collaborative approaches to shape future service delivery for FHAA partners.

Overall, tenants will be empowered to build the skills, confidence and coping strategies they need to navigate mental health challenges through early, preventative and trauma-informed support. This will enable tenants to cope with challenges, leading to more secure and sustained tenancies, while having the tools and confidence to thrive within their communities.

Susan Grant, Head of Central Services at Change Mental Health, said:

“Change Mental Health is really pleased to have a Mental Health Resilience Support Worker rolled out to more housing associations across Fife, evolving on our transformational and collaborative work with Kingdom Housing Association.

“By embedding mental health expertise within frontline housing services, this project removes barriers to support for tenants who may engage with statutory or clinical services.

“This collaborative initiative will continue to place mental health and wellbeing at the heart of housing across Fife – building stronger, safer and more resilient communities where tenants can thrive.”

Over 120 more tenants will receive transformational, flexible and holistic one-to-one-support across the project expanding to the FHAA partnership – with demonstrable improvements to mental wellbeing and strengthened community resilience.

Ric Barnett, Customer Solutions Manager at Kingdom Housing Association, said:

“Across our customer-facing teams, we see first-hand the impact that poor mental health can have on a person’s ability to sustain their tenancy.

“The project stands out because it goes beyond crisis intervention. It’s genuinely about empowering people, building resilience and helping individuals to feel more confident and in control of their own lives.

“We’re proud to be a part of that journey and to see the project extend across the Fife Housing Association Alliance, so that it can benefit more people across our communities.”